As part of the Maryland Public Service Commission’s continuing effort to address Maryland’s potential electricity gap, the Commission asked PJM Interconnection, the region’s grid operator to convene a Regional Reliability Summit “as soon as possible.”

As described in a letter the Commission sent to PJM President and Chief Executive Terry Boston on Oct. 2, 2008, the Summit would provide each state with an up-to-date analysis of potential regional and state-by-state electricity shortfalls, as well as a forum for the affected state commissions and PJM to discuss and potential solutions. The request complements the Commission’s ongoing proceeding (Case No. 9149, also known as the "Gap RFP" case) to determine whether additional capacity is needed in Maryland by 2011-12.

"The Commission recognizes that Maryland is part of a regional grid and that our potential electricity shortfalls will require regional as well as local solutions," said Commission Chairman Douglas Nazarian. "Taking control of our electricity future requires us not only to pursue additional capacity in Maryland, as we already are, but also to work together with other affected States and PJM."

In preparation of the Summit, the Commission asked PJM to prepare a presentation detailing three crucial areas:

(1) the potential region-wide capacity shortfall, beginning in 2011, based on the 2011/2012 RPM base residential auction.

(2) each state’s respective share of the potential capacity shortfall under different scenarios.

(3) the steps PJM could and would take on its own to address actual or foreseeable reliability shortfalls. This information would, the Commission believes, provide each state commission with a current analysis of the potential problems and a concise set of documents Commissioners then could share with Governors and legislators in their respective states.